Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19): Paint the day with bold strokes and leave the detail work for another time, if it even comes to that. It’s a day of experiments. You won’t know until you jump in. Taurus (April 20-May 20): You’re in the thick of a complex task and still trying to get your bearings. It will be a wobbly ride for a little while, but soon enough you’ll develop a knack and this section will seem like a mere blip. Gemini (May 21-June 21): Interaction doesn’t have to be intense or constant to be meaningful. Sometimes just being near one another, in the same room, doing your own thing is more than enough to bring a sense of comfort. Cancer (June 22-July 22): You’ve a new interest. It’s intriguing but difficult. Don’t worry; you can be talented at something without being good at it. Sometimes the talent is just a curiosity that drives you to practice and inevitably improve. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Someone likes you, thinks you’re bright, admires you and wants to be around you more. Is that so surprising? Perhaps — because either this person may not readily show affinity, or the timing just hasn’t seemed right yet. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re excellent at mixing, matching and merging, and when people go along with your suggestions everybody wins. You’ll finally get the go-ahead to do something you’ve wanted to do for a long time. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Think about it; you’re actually living some of your childhood schemes. Why stop scheming now? Let yourself dream outrageously. Outcomes that, at the moment, seem unlikely may not be as farfetched as you imagine. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You want to lay the foundation for a big change. The trouble is that you don’t really know how things will culminate and what will develop. You only know that it will be different from what’s happening now. A sense of readiness is all you need. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A good friend will nurture your idiosyncrasies and love you for the parts of you that don’t conform to her expectations or his beliefs. A good friend wants you to be more of who you already are. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You sometimes wish you were better at affairs of the heart. Then again, people who seem to be in control of their “feels” are possibly not feeling them as deeply as you are. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Surprising events wake you up like cold water to the face. You’ll wonder why you didn’t see it before. You were looking at other things. No matter. Now that you’re aware, new options will open for you. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): What good is a support system if you never lean on it? Sure, it’s nice to know it’s there. You’d do well to test it out every once in a while, too. Check in and let yourself be a little vulnerable with the people who love you. Today’s birthday (Aug. 7): You have advantages you’ve never considered. Someone will show them to you, or cause you to see them for the first time, so that you may use these talents and boons of position to leverage you into the place you most want to be. This mix of luck, talent and opportunity will repeat no less than 10 times this year. Libra and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 2, 22, 18 and 45. DEAR ABBY » I am a 50-year-old woman. I have been married to my husband for 28 years and never cheated. We have a good life together, and our sex life has always been great, but I have recently fallen in love with another woman.

I haven’t told anyone, not even her. She has made several comments and advances toward me, but she frequently makes comments like, “I don’t swim in the lady pond.” The two of us recently went out of town together. When she kissed me on my neck, I pulled away and nothing more happened. I am positive that if I hadn’t, something would have happened.

I feel like I’m going crazy because I think about her every minute. We talk on the phone several times a day. She’s married (to a man) and has been for 30 years. Is it possible for two straight women to suddenly fall in love with each other? Should I tell her how I feel? Please help me. I’m confused, lost and in turmoil. — Falling in love

DEAR FALLING » Yes, it is possible for members of both sexes to become attracted to someone of the same sex and fall in love. Have an honest conversation with the woman. Tell her you are confused about what happened on the trip. I’m not sure she was completely honest about her “swimming” habits, but you may or may not be the first woman she has become attracted to.

I hesitate to advise what steps to take beyond that since you are both in longtime, committed relationships. Much will depend upon what she has to say.

DEAR ABBY » I have been dating my boyfriend for two years. We are the same age and have children from previous marriages. His are teenagers, and I have twin boys at home who are 6. Early on we discussed blending our families.

Although he has been eager to be a part of my life and my family, he has been less than enthusiastic about opening up his own life to me. He takes vacations with his children and leaves me out. He also travels alone to places we have discussed going to together. If I say anything, he accuses me of being selfish. But if I plan anything with my own children, he always expects to be included.

I’m getting fed up with it. I feel resentful living on the fringes of his world, while he expects to be at the center of mine. Am I selfish, or do I have a legitimate complaint?

— Off balance in Virginia

DEAR OFF BALANCE » You and your boyfriend should both be spending some separate vacation time with your children, but not to the exclusion of each other. That he would take trips you had planned together without you seems peculiar, and I don’t think you are selfish to be bothered by it.

Although you have been seeing each other for two years, he does not appear to be anywhere near ready to jump into the kind of relationship you are wishing for. You do have a legitimate complaint. Continue the discussion about this because something does appear to be off balance.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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